Supporter clip



' J. BENKERT SUPPORTER CLIP J11ly 25, 1939.

Filed April 11. 1938 Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTER CLIP Application April 11, 1938, Serial No. 201,255

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a supporter clip for use in garters or the like.

In clips of this character, it is necessary that the device be cheap, easily manufactured, easily manipulated and most important of all maintain a firm hold on the fabric such as a stocking, but refrain from tearing or injuring the fabric in the slightest. While many clips satisfy the requirements with regard to cheapness and ease of manipulation, there are none on the market which appear to have a satisfactory and harmless grip. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a thin clip which will satisfy the above requirements.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a view of the supporter clip in an active supporting position.

Fig. 2 shows the same in a retracted position.

Fig. 3 is a view of the clip in the same position as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the clip in an unlocked condition.

The clip comprises a base or mounting portion l preferably of metal, having a handle portion 2 suitably slotted at 3. A supporting elastic 4 may be looped around handle part 2 and sewed. Base portion l is provided with a mounting portion 5. The extreme tip 6 of the mounting portion 5 of the base is enlarged and rounded as shown in Fig. 4 and is suitably apertured at I. Pivotally mounted in aperture 1 is an upper jaw comprising a generally loop-shaped wire, having the free end II rounded as shown.

At an intermediate portion of the mounting portion 5 of base i, a pair of ears [2 and R3 are formed extending on oppositesides. This forms a pivot mounting for a lower jaw i5, having two arms l6 and I! joined at the bottom by a cross member 18. As is clearly shown in Fig. 4, arms l6 and I! are generally fiat. The tip of the lower jaw is formed as a curved member 28 connecting the ends of the arms 5 and i! and is bent upwardly toward the upper jaw as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Between bent curved member 20 and straight portion l8 of the lower jaw is a recess 2|. The bight or curved portion 1 i constituting the lower part of the U-shape-d jaw l0 enters this recess.

As base portion 1 of the clip is turned on the two sets of pivots, it is clear that there will be a translatory motion of one jaw with respect to the other. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, when base I is turned out of the plane of the jaws, the upper jaw I0 is pulled back. This permits the smooth tip II, which ordinarily is disposed in recess 2|, to be withdrawn and swung clear.

Any piece of fabric 30 maybe firmly retained by disposing between the two jaws as shown in Fig. 2 and then forcing the upper jaw forward to have the tip thereof force the fabric into the curved portion of the lower jaw.

I claim:

l. A clip comprising a mounting portion, a first clamping jaw pivoted thereto, said jaw being of a substantially 'U-shape, a transverse bar integral with and joining the sides of the U-shaped jaw adjacent to but spaced from the end of the jaw remote from the pivot, the sides of the jaw extending continuously from the pivot past the transverse bar and then joined by a smooth continuous curve spaced from the bottom of the bar both lengthwise of the jaw and forward of the bar to form an aperture, the bottom of the bar constituting the top of the aperture and the width of the aperture being substantially less than the minimum width of the outside of the jaw throughout the length thereof, a second jaw comprising a looped wire the ends of which are pivoted to the mounting portion about a pivot axis parallel to but spaced from the pivot axis of the first jaw, said second jaw being narrower and shorter than the first jaw and the looped part of the second jaw extending into the aperture of the first jaw with the looped part subjacent the bight portion of the first jaw and the sides of the wire extending across the front of the transverse bar.

2. A clip comprising a mounting portion, a first clamping jaw pivoted thereto, said jaw having straight sides extending from the pivot and merging towards one another in a smooth curve continuous in one direction and forming a tip of the jaw remote from the pivot, a bar integral with the sides and extending from one straight side to the other adjacent the tip but with the bottom of the bar spaced from the top of the tip in a direction lengthwise of the jaw to form an aperture between the tip and the bar, a second jaw pivoted to the mounting portion about a pivot axis parallel to but spaced from the pivot axis of the first jaw, said second jaw being of less length and less width than the first jaw and extending from its pivot axis towards said aperture and into the same with one side of the second jaw exerting a pressure against the tip and the opposite side of the second jaw exerting a pressure against the bar.

3. A clip comprising amounting portion, a first clamping jaw pivoted thereto, said jaw hav- 55 bottom of the bar spaced from the top of the tip in a direction lengthwise of the jaw to form an aperture between'the tip and the bar, a second jaw pivoted to the mounting portion about a pivot axis parallel to but spaced from the pivot axis of the first jaw, said second jaw being of less length and less width than the first jaw and extending from its pivot axis towards said aperture and into the same with one side of the second jaw exerting a pressure against the tip and the opposite side of the second jaw exerting a pressure against the bar, saidsecond jaw comprising a wire of a generally U-shape with the b ight portion of the U extending into said aperture and the lower curved part of the bight portion bearing against said tip of the first mentioned jaw.

JOHN BENKER'I. 

